Cloud Seeding in NIR
After conducting their cloud seeding operations, the Department of Agriculture’s Engineer II of the Agro-Hydrology and Rain Simulation Section, Bureau of Soils and Water Management, Corazon Ditarro, has stated that they have successfully reached 14 cities and municipalities in Negros Island Region (NIR). The said operation started last May 1, 2016 instantly delivered rains in the cities of San Carlos, Cadiz, Talisay, Bacolod, Bago, La Carlota, Kabankalan and Sipalay, and the municipalities of Pontevedra, San Enrique, Hinigaran, Moises Padilla, and Hinoba-an in Negros Occidental and Mabinay town in Negros Oriental on Tuesday, May 3, 2015. According to Ditarro, rains in areas of central Negros Occidental experienced moderate rainfall while heavy rains hit Sipalay.
Could cloud seeding operations spare NIR from El Nino?
Consisting a budget of P2 million, 6 out of 45 hours of cloud seeding operations have already been accomplished for the past 3 days.
The Department of Agriculture together with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) are still validating some of the reports of the rains that were also felt in other areas in which they have reached their operations.
The DA-NIR, Sugar Regulatory Administration, OPA, and the Philippine Air Force 900 Weather Group are collaborating on this project to finally provide a solution in the region’s growing El Nino occurrences.
Due to intense drought for the past couple of months, reports stated that in Negros Occidental alone, P407 million worth of agro-fishery were damaged and lost, thus declaring the province under state of calamity last April.
On one hand, Ditarro stated that the cloud seeding procedures still depend highly on the availability of the seedable clouds. While on the other hand, Provincial Senior Agriculturist Dina Genzola stated that they are educating and persuading farmers to utilize rain water they gather from this operation.
